Who doesn't right? Ok so i'm a little intimidated about doing my first bacon. For starters, i dont want to screw up the cure process and get everyone sick. There is so much info out there that i'm hoping you kind people wouldn't mind putting everything i need to know on how to do bacon in this thread. I will be hot smoking as i am not set up to cold smoke. At least i dont think i am. I am using a Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5". Any help or if some one could point me into the right direction would be greatly appreciated. GO BACON!!!!! thanks for the help everyone

Matt, did my first bacon last winter and was scared sheetlis, but this forum and reading on boutilism will get your act in order. Just do as directed and do not alter. Smoke below 40* for cold smoking, which in your part of the country should not be a problem(Eagle lover) . Get an AMNPS which is found on this site for cold smoking which can be done in your WSM. Got a22.5 myself last summer. Luv it and even though am building a cold smoker would do cold smoking in it. No water pan and foil tented over AMNPS.

I have made a lot of hams with this brine and it is excellent. I just made my first belly bacon a few weeks ago with this brine and thought it would be hammy but it tastes like high end butcher shop bacon.

You've got the Pro's from Dover in your corner now...... They make the best bacon around.

Remember though its all about the smoke. Caution, once you've done bacon you're a smoking fanatic, you are hooked and not even a 12 step program nor intervention can help up. The DT's are near unbearable. And you never get over the feeling you just have to do another side.......

20+ hours!?!?!?!?!?!??! wow was not expecting that. What are the benefits of cold smoking instead of hot smoking?

That's a bad question, because everyone has their own opinion about that.

In my opinion there are no benefits to cold smoking, instead of warm smoking. I've smoked every way, except for the real long cold smoke.

When I say "Warm smoking" I'm talking about 120* --130* smoker temp, with a 140* smoker temp the max. That would be Belly Bacon. You can get the same results in color & flavor that way in 8 to 10 hours, as you do in 20 hours of cold smoking. If you want to do real cold smoking, do it under 100* for 30, 40, or even 60 hours.

Buckboard Bacon & Canadian Bacon is a different thing entirely. I like to Warm smoke until I get the nice color I want. Then take the smoker temp up to between 160* and 180* to get the IT up to 145*-150* before pulling. Then you can eat it cold or just warm it up a little before eating.

I also like to keep all of these in the fridge for a couple days after removing from the smoker. Then into the freezer for 3 or 4 hours before slicing makes the slicing much easier.